Durga Puja Preparations in Ranchi Disrupted by Heavy Rain: Artisans and Organisers Face Challenges

Ranchi: With barely two weeks to go before the grand Durga Puja festivities begin, artisans and puja organisers are keeping their fingers crossed hoping that rain will not play a spoilsport this time.

Incessant showers over the past few days have already ruffled their schedules.Artisan Ram Pal, who has a workshop in Ranchi’s Jai Road, said, “It has been raining almost every day and it is becoming extremely tough for us to complete the idol-making process and give finishing touches. Drying the clay idols has become very tough.” Pal said that he is thinking of using yellow halogen lights for drying the clay idols to complete them on time.Similarly, another artisan, Ramchandra Pal, who has a workshop at the city’s Tharpakna area said, “I am facing trouble in buying important items such as bamboo, old clothes, and clay from the suppliers. They are also charging a hefty amount of money to get the items delivered,” Pal said.Ajoy Pal, a city-based idol maker, said, "If the rain continues for another week, things will become very challenging for us."Meanwhile, some puja organisers said that preparations for Durga Puja festivities have been hampered a bit due to excessive rainfall.

Amit Kumar Verma, an organiser associated with OCC Club Durga Puja Samiti, said, the road located behind our puja pandal gets flooded whenever it rains. “It poses a great threat to our puja pandal. In addition there are no street lights. We fear that people will not pay a visit to our pandal if such conditions prevail,” Verma said.Organisers said the continuous downpour has not only delayed structural work but also damaged raw materials.The spokesperson at R R Sporting Club at Ratu Road, Ayush Raj Verma, said, “The rain is making it impossible for us to carry out carpentry and electrical work for the outer structure of the pandal. Bamboo and wooden frames have become completely soaked, raising fears that the materials may weaken and compromise safety."Despite challenges, the organisers remain determined to complete preparations on time. Shubham Purohit, a member of Rajasthan Mitra Mandal at Baba Talab, said, “Durga Puja is not just a festival, it’s an emotion for the people of the city. We are working day and night, hoping that the weather improves in the coming days."